When Southwest Airlines made the decision to drop free checked bags as part of its standard fares, the airline completed its heel turn.
The company used to be the John Cena of the air — always treating people well and perhaps giving them more than they expected simply because it was the right thing to do. Cena preached “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” and remained a hero to children even while adults found his act corny and booed him.
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Over time, Cena’s devotion to his principles as a “face or good guy” won over fans who greated him with dueling chants of “Let’s go Cena!” and “Cena sucks!” Even the “Cena Sucks!” chants were a sign of respect in many cases as the actor and now sometimes wrestler always played the hero whether he was cheered for it or not.
That made it shocking when, as part of his retirement tour earlier this year, Cena finally turned heel (became a bad guy) by kneeing Cody Rhodes in the groin to set up a Wrestlemania match for the World Title.
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Southwest Airline (LUV) in business terms, was always a face/good guy. Like Cena, it had some pretty admirable values, which it shared on its website:.
Our Purpose: To connect People to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.Our Vision: To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.
Those goals became as meaningless as Cena’s “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” mantra when the airline kicked us all the in the groin by getting rid of its long-cherished “bags fly free” policy which allowed every passenger two checked.
Bags no longer fly free on Southwest.
Image source: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Southwest Airlines changed its checked bags policy
Traditional airlines charge baggage fees so they can advertise lower ticket prices upfront. Never mind that few people will pay those prices, they can advertise that they technically exist.
Southwest Airlines never did that. In fact, the airline created the term “transfarency” to describe its no-hidden-fees prices.
That’s no longer the case. Southwest shared its new baggage policy on its X, the former Twitter, page.
“Starting May 28, 2025 we will continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and Customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag* to A-List Members. All Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers (up to eight Passengers traveling on the same reservation) are each eligible to receive a credit for their first standard checked bag,” the airline posted.
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Free bags are now only for upper-level elite rewards program members and people who have the airline’s credit card. But, to be fair, the airline is being “transfarent” with its new baggage policy.
Southwest Airlines admits it’s going to be worse
“For reservations booked and ticketed or changed on or after May 28, 2025, checked baggage fees will apply,” Southwest shared on its website.
It has not disclosed those prices because it says it can’t.
“All airlines, including Southwest, are not permitted to speak about specific future pricing before they take effect. That said, our checked bag fees will align with industry standards, and we will share more details as we approach May 28, 2025,” it added.
Southwest currently checks more bags than any other airline. That will change once bags become an added cost.
The airline’s Executive Vice President of Operations, Justin Jones, made it clear that the change was going to cause major disruptions on an appearance on the March 26 edition of Airlines Confidential.
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View from the Wing’s Garry Leff shared some highlights from Jones’ comments on his website.
“They are going to be ‘extremely hesitant to do heavily policing on bag size’ like at ‘some other airlines.’ And he acknowledges that means even more gate checking of bags because those oversized bags take up more room in the bins, meaning room for fewer total bags,” Leff wrote.
That’s not the only issue.
“Jones admits that he is ‘very concerned about the gate-checked bags’ taking time during the boarding process and slowing down the operation,” Leff added.
